Letters: Jungle Massacre

Sir: Jan Morris (Comment, 4 March) is right to praise the spirit of adventure which leads travellers to troublespots like Uganda: our pampered society increasingly lacks the human qualities of risk and discovery.

But we must also recognise that the killings in Uganda represent a new kind of danger. In Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Yemen, Nigeria, Chechnya, Kashmir, Angola, Cambodia - "safe" destinations as well as conflict zones - Westerners have been targeted by ruthless political groups whose purpose is to reach the world's media. We are seen by local communities as representatives of a global system which they can access through us.

This is very different from getting caught up in a robbery or riot. You can't judge it just by watching your back out there. What is needed is a sophisticated and independent information service, perhaps on a subscription or Internet basis, which could be free from the commercial and political considerations which necessarily surround governments and tour companies.